The First Christmas [antikvár]

Preface IT IS a pity that so many good stories, recently written about the first Christians, are so lacking in verisimilitude. Their authors have not had the opportunity of seeing with their own eyes the scenes which they describe nor the advantage of a detailed knowledge of the period. There are, of course, many scholarly volumes dealing with the social, economic, religious, and political conditions of the first century, but they are too learned for the average reader. This book is an attempt to reconstruct the scenes of the first Christmas with all the authentic detail available and to present the events in the form of a story. Hence the style is narrative as far as possible, although some descriptions and explanations are inevitable. These, however, may add to the interest of the work, for most people would like to know the answer to such questions as: Who was the Caesar Augustus of the Christmas Gospel and why did he order a universal census? How was his decree brought from Rome and how was it published in Palestine? Was Herod as black as he is painted? What kind of house did Mary and Joseph have in Nazareth? How did they dress? What food did they eat? How much money could they raise for the trip? What vocal prayers did they say? What was their route from Nazareth to Bethlehem? What is the scenery like? Where did they put up at nights? What were the probable incidents of the long journey? Why were they refused admission to the inn? Was there really snow on the ground? Where was the stable? Are the ox and ass of the Crib authentic? What has become of